August 1914: The First Casualty

The ancient Greek writer Aeschylus once wrote, “In war, truth is the first casualty.”

The seismic event of a World War beginning 100 years ago this month was no exception.

While war enthusiasm seemed to be pretty much universal at first, the reaction of Gippsland newspapers varied markedly. Not in their patriotism of course, their loyalty to the British Empire, but to the way that first month was reported.

While some were very low key in their response, others seemed to think they were capable of competing with the dailies with their coverage. Given the central role newspapers played in the dissemination of news 100 years ago, this is perhaps understandable.

An example of the former approach is that taken by the Mirboo North paper. Buried away in its editorial column in the 13 August issue, The Gippslander and Mirboo Times carries a reference to the service at the Presbyterian Church the previous Sunday. The subject of the sermon was “Can war be waged righteously?”

In the same issue John Hickey, the ever reliable Mirboo correspondent only refers to the war after paragraphs about the state of the dairy industry, who’s been sick lately, plans for the local football club to hold a ball in celebration of their premiership victory, as well as work beginning on the telephone line from Mirboo North to Mirboo.

Finally, he notes, “Matters political have to take second place now that a war has broken out, which is likely to be very far reaching in its dire consequences to the whole of Europe, if not the world.”

Then follows an early example of a poetic response to the outbreak of hostilities, part of a sonnet penned by Hickey reading,

“Loud rolls the sounds of war, and louder stillOur hearts are pulsing to our country’s cry,Arise Australians nobly with a willTo bravely conquer, or to bravely die.”

Not exclusively, but mainly bi-weekly publications took a very different approach to that of the Mirboo North paper. When war was first announced, by the standards of the day the news was accompanied by banner headlines. A number of publications also went to the extent of publishing either one page extra editions, or slips of paper including the latest telegrams. That there was certainly a demand for this is highlighted by reports from towns on both the Gippsland and Great Southern Railway lines.

At Korumburra for instance, once the Great Southern Advocate had released what was called an “extraordinary” relaying the news that Germany had declared war on Russia, “residents visited the offices at all hours of the day seeking further news.”

Further, when the evening train arrived carrying with it copies of the mass circulation afternoon paper, The Herald, such was the crush to obtain a copy that newspaper that “a pane of glass was broken in Mr. Mackay’s book stall.”

On the 5th August, readers of the the Gippsland Standard (now the Yarram Standard) were told, “The latest war news will be issued daily from our office. To cover the cost of telegraphic service, we have decided to make a charge of 1d per copy.”

Two days later readers of the Trafalgar and Yarragon Times were being told that from the following day, “The Times will publish the latest war news twice daily.”

By the middle of the month, the Bairnsdale Advertiser was complaining that “Some country papers are getting their war news on the cheap by filching it from the Melbourne dailies.” Given the choice of paying for a cable service, or refraining from publishing, a number had evidently chosen the latter.

Inevitably, censorship raises its head in August 1914. Both the Trafalgar and Yarram papers refer to it, the Yarram paper noting that, “a strict censorship is still exercised on all telegrams respecting war sent to country papers.” Not quite censorship, but it would seem that the contents of many of the cables published by Gippsland newspapers in good faith during August 1914 weren’t particularly reliable.

Melbourne Punch turns its attention to this twice in its issue of 13 August. “It is almost impossible as yet to give any trustworthy account of the operations which have already taken place,” notes one article.

“The news is coming through in such a way as inevitably to create confusion and misunderstanding,” notes another. With Australia being “literally swamped with reports, collected from all the capitals of Europe it is utterly impossible to obtain verification of battle stories.”

“At such a time stories come from all sources. They may be official or unofficial. Lies or truth.”

Just possibly the Bairnsdale Advertiser had the right idea when it stated that it would continue to issue special bulletins “when the occasion warrants it. When the news is not of sufficient importance for a special publication, a synopsis of it will be posted outside the office as the messages are received.”

Photos: Banner headlines from the Snowy River Mail and the Bairnsdale Advertiser